Two more opportunities for retreat practice are coming up in the near future:
The Path of Service: An Insight Meditation Retreat with David Chernikoff
October 23-27, 2024 St. Louis, MO
Below is a quotation from David’s book, Life, Part Two: Seven Keys to Awakening with Purpose and Joy as You Age, ( p. 126 ).
"I deeply honor and appreciate our innate desire to be of benefit to others. I see this yearning as being rooted in our recognition that we're all part of an interdependent web in which the healing of any one part supports the healing of the whole."
For more information, listen to David’s dharma talk on Compassion in Action.
Once on the page, scroll to the talk given on April 12th, 2022. You can listen by streaming the talk or downloading it to your device.
James Baraz will be offering an online retreat for Mid America Dharma Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19, 2025. James is a teacher of mindfulness meditation and is co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He is co-author of two books Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to a Happier Life and Awakening Joy for Kids. He has taught the Awakening Joy course since 2003, and retreats and workshops in the US and internationally.
Here are some quotes from James:
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different. Enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will). Being with the unpleasant without fearing that it will always be that way (which it won’t).”
“Being sad and angry and feeling the whole range of human emotions is part of being alive. Not being stuck in any of them is a key to happiness.”
“Joy creates a spaciousness in the mind that allows us to hold the suffering we experience without becoming overwhelmed, without collapsing into despair.”
“Circumstances change, we change, things change, and letting go of what we’re holding on to can be a great relief. It is also the road to happiness.”
“Mindfulness is about learning to be honest and truthful with your experience.”
“If you want to reduce stress, minimize the harm that you’re causing to yourself and others. Integrity is the foundation for inner peace.”
“Mindfulness is the art of appreciating the moment just as it is.”
“See yourself through the eyes of someone who really loves you.”
“When we pay attention to wholesome states, they increase.”
“If you’re too busy to nourish your spirit, you’re too busy!
Mid America Dharma looks forward to offering these retreats. May they be fruitful and deepen your practice of the dharma.